A Ressie team full of almost all first team players beat a talented but youthful Bolton team 2v0 in their latest FA Premier Reserve League game at Eppleton CW’s Hetton home. However, it is yet to be seen at what cost the victory came as Nathan Luscombe left the field on a stretcher with what looked like a bad injury late in the game.

The Lads lined up with Weir and Hartley at full back positions whilst McShane, who had a good game, partnered Davenport who made his first appearance n the famous red and white stripes. Dwight Yorke sat deep whilst captain Colback and Leadbitter buzzed around in front of him and Healy and Carlos provided some width supporting Murphy up front on point.

The opening chance came when Murphy and Colback combined well to set up Healy with a chance but he could only find the side netting with his shot.

Grant who looked the pick of the bunch in the first half with his energetic bursts deep into Bolton’s territory then shot well over after working a good opening before Murphy drew the first save from a very impressive Adam Bogdan in Bolton’s goal whose presence presumable prompted a rare appearance from Marton Fulop in the stand. Marton must have been impressed by the Hungarian youngster who made numerous good blocks to keep the score line down, in a somewhat lop sided encounter due to the relative experience of the sides. I’m told Bogdan is Hungarian although I’d like to know his exact background as I don’t know too many Hungarians called Adam and no offence intended but he has to be the only flame headed Hungarian I’ve ever seen.

The Lads took the lead on the quarter hour mark when Grant had charged through yet again and Healy crossed well to set up Edwards with a chance which the winger finished deftly, flicking at it with the outside of his boot.

Grant made yet another good run after an excellent through ball by Davenport who whilst generally not stretched too much defensively showed excellent distribution on all but one occasion through the match. Bogdan, however, did well to block Grants effort.

Moments later Healy had his attempt well blocked by Bogdan and when Grant set him up again the young Hungarian did well to block with his legs.

Gbemie then had a golden chance from a Bolton free kick but put the ball well wide of the almost redundant Craig Gordon’s goal. Grant then had yet another effort but it looked as if perhaps it took the slightest touch off a Bolton defender to take the sting out of it.

Mid-way through the half, Yorkie showed that bit of nouse that I feel we often lack in the first team when he could have kept upright after having been clipped by one of the Bolton lads but he saw the benefit of wining a free kick and a quick bit of thinking and play allowed Murphy to play Grant in but he shot straight at the keeper.

On the half hour mark Healy had the ball in the back of the net but the ref gave a free kick for what I can only think was what he felt was a foul by Murphy in the build up. If so, it looked harsh.

The final chance of the half came minutes later when Healy had a great curling effort from the left hand apex of the box which Bogdan did well to push away after another excellent through ball by Davenport to Murphy who in turn played in the Ulsterman.

H/T 1 – 0

Half time allowed me some crowd spotting and a lot of the playing/coaching staff were present. Ricky, Raimond, Bally and Kenwyn were all there along with former black cat Paul ‘Pies’ Butler looking fitter than ever although looking somewhat like Liam Gallagher if that isn’t a contradiction in terms. He must have heard about the chips that Grace and the girls do in the Hetton Centre Caf. Fair play also to the younger lads who were probably disappointed not to get a game being displaced by the senior lads, but Maimer, Dowse, Cookie and McArdle were all there to support the Lads.

Davenport, who had an assured game contributed a real threat at all of our set plays and nearly scored in the opening minute of the second period with an excellent header which Bogdan did well to claw out.

Murphy then contrived to miss from all of a yard when it looked harder to miss and the less said the better or at least there’s no point describing it how I did at the time as it wouldn’t get through the email firewall. We could have paid for it when a minute later two Bolton lads went clean though after Yorkie had been caught in possession in midfield. Weir and Pistols who had left too much space for the Bolton lads did enough to put some pressure on the attackers but the otherwise very impressive Rob Sissons shot wide.

Davenport did well yet again when he headed just wide from Yorke’s cross and he looks like he could be a real goal threat from set pieces. Captain Jack who had another good game burst through mid way through the half but Bennett just did enough to put him off his shot.

On 69 minutes Healy doubled the lead with a sublime finish from 35/40 yards lifting the ball over a stranded Bogdan. The goal was reminiscent of a goal he had scored for Northern Ireland I think against Spain. Either way it was a superb finish.

Chandler and Luscombe came on for Grant and Healy but Nath only lasted ten minutes when he fell awkwardly under what looked like a fair challenge but he stayed down and when Nath stays down you know he must be hurt. He was stretchered off to sympathetic applause as the lads were reduced to ten men.

There was still time for Jack to hit the side netting when perhaps the better option was to cut it back to Waggy who hilariously had spent the previous 30 seconds crawling round the midfield like a crab but somehow still kept the ball out of the reach of the Bolton defenders. You had to be there I guess.

A quick mention for the ref who whilst not getting everything right let the game flow as much as possible and got the vast majority right which after sounding like a broken record for the past two seasons regarding atrocious referees for both the first and second teams was a very welcome change.

Bolton won a free-kick and hit the post when perhaps their endeavours against a very experienced Sunderland team deserved a consolation.

Just before the final whistle Waggy went down when he was caught on the touch line and the lads played the final seconds out with nine men. If only the first team could have played out time as well last Saturday.

Full Time: Sunderland Reserves 2 – 0 Bolton Wanderers Reserves

Sunderland: Gordon, Kay, Hartley, Yorke, McShane, Davenport, Edwards, Leadbitter ( Chandler), Healy (Luscombe), Colback, Murphy, (Waghorn)

Subs unused: Carson, Kay

Man of the Match: Healy for his work rate and sublime finish just edges Grant’s first half display.

Attendance: 718

Dov